Jobs and the unemployment rate remain steady in the Sunflower State, according to the latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor.
Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.9% in February. This is unchanged from 2.9% in January and an increase from 2.4% in February 2022.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 1,500 from January. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers.
Private sector jobs increased by 1,400 over the month, while government decreased by 2,900.
“Kansas average nominal hourly earnings in the private sector rose 3.1% over the year in February,” said Labor Economist Nathan Kessler. “However, while showing signs of improvement, inflationary pressures continue to weigh on wages with real hourly earnings declining 2.4% over the year.”
Since February 2022 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 41,300. This change is due to an increase of 38,000 private sector jobs and an increase of 3,300 government jobs.
Complete Kansas labor market information for February is available here.
The March 2023 Labor Report will be released on Friday, April 21.
